Disney Prevails in Moana Copyright Trial Against Animator Buck Woodall

A California jury ruled that Disney did not plagiarize Woodall's screenplay, citing no evidence of access to his work.

A Los Angeles jury found that Disney and Moana creators John Musker and Ron Clements had no contact with Buck Woodall's screenplay, dismissing his plagiarism claims.
Woodall alleged that Disney's 2016 hit Moana copied elements from his screenplay, Bucky the Surfer Boy, which he claimed to have shared with a Disney-affiliated executive in the early 2000s.
The jury's decision focused on the lack of evidence showing that Disney employees had access to Woodall's materials, rendering similarities between the works irrelevant.
Woodall has filed a separate lawsuit over Moana 2, released in 2024, seeking $10 billion in damages, though legal experts suggest the verdict in this trial may weaken his case.
Disney expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing the originality of Moana's development, which drew inspiration from sources like Polynesian mythology, Herman Melville, and Paul Gauguin.